Disappearing foot rest



G. 'r'. VON GERMETEN ET AL v DI SAPPEARING FbOT REST Filed Feb. 16' 1923 Wifneases Patented at. 18, 1924.

PAT

' GEORGE THEO. voN GERLIETEN AND OARI; F. HANSEN, RAGINE. WISCONSIN.

DISAPPEARING FOOT REST.

Apgilication and February 16, 1923. Serial No. 619,399.'

'10v t-ion thereof.

This invention relates to disappearing foot rests and is particularly dlrected to a disappearing foot rest design" for automobiles.

In automobile practice it has been cus tomary to provide a foot rest in the tonneauadjacent the rear seat, so arranged that it' is permanntlyexposed and above the floor. It frequently happens that it is desirable to store suitcases, packages and other articles in the rear portion of the automobile and such projecting foot rest is an unhandy and unavoidable obstacle as at present oonstruc .ted. In addition to this,a projecting foot rest is frequently in the way of entering or leaving passengers and occasions numerous mishaps.

It is to overcome the above noted defects that the present invention is designed and objects of such invention are, therefore, to

provide a disappearing foot rest for automobiles, which. is so constructed that it may be instantly moved from its exposed or operative position to a position'fiush with the as floor of the automobile.

, Further objects are to provide a disappearing foot rest, which will be comfortable for occupants of the rear seat, which may be easily manipulated and which, when'in s its flush position, does not have any as.

tion projecting above the plane of the oor. Embodiments of the invention are shown 1n the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a. fragmentary prospective view of the rear portion of an automobile, showing the foot rest in elevated position. F igure 2 is a sectional view on the line X-X of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to- Fig- 9 ure 2, showing foot rest in its flush or retracted position.

' Figure 4 is an enlargedfra mentary, sec tional view on the line Y-l of Figure 2.

Fi ure 5 is a detail of, the trunnion bear- 5 ings and associated parts.

Figure 6is an enlarged view of gneof the end' members of the casing.

Figure 7 is a view of the end members of the toe board or foot rest. g

Figure 8 is a view of one of the connect in links.

igure 9 is a viewofithe main body of the casing. 4

Figure 10 isa sectional view, sh owing a modified form of foot rest. ,7

Figure 'll'is a fragmental plan View of the structure, shown in'Figure l0; Referring to the drawings, it will be :seen

that the foot rest comprises a casing provided with end members 1 whim have outf0 in t ie;flanges 3 of the end members and is supported thereby, as may be clearly seen from Figures 2-3 and 4. If desired, this stamping may be 'equipped with channel flanges 19,- provided with screw receiving apertures 18. The end members and'stamp mg, which together constitute the casing, are inset in the fioor of the automobile in front of the rear seat, as indicated in Figure 1, the entire device beingvsupported' by'the marginal flanges.

The end members 1 are provided with forward bosses 5, adapted to receive screws 6, no.

provided with enlarged heads 7, as illustrated in Figure 4. The rear portion of the end members 1 are provided with slots 8 for V a purpose hereinafter to bedescribed;

A rectangular toe board, or foot rest board 16, is provided with end members 9, inset along t e lower side edges of the foot board and secured in position by screws 17. These members 9 are provided with downwardly extending lugs 10, having tapped holes 11-m- (see Figure and at their rear ends are provided with outwardly prof l'eet' trunbly t wit nions 13, adapted to slida in the slots 8, as may be seen fromFigure 5. Connecting links 14 are pivotally' mounted 05 uponthe screws 6 and, by means. ofsorews 12, are joined to the lugs 10-such connecting links 'being preferably provided withrelatively large apertures 15, adapted to em gage the enlarged portion of the screw's 6 no preventbhiding of the lin and 12, as illustrated in Fi re 4, sons to between the heads of the screwsand the adjacent por- 'lhe'operation of the apparatus is as follows: v When it is desired to elevate the foot rest,

the operators fingersaie slipped into, the finger "grips (see Figure?) adjacent to forwardportion of the forwardly, the. links 14 permittinga free ure 2, and provides a convenient; rest at a- "lllnstrated in Figure 3, to there 1y provide 7 an unobstructed floor throughout therear ivotal action and the trunnions 13 sliding in guiding slots 8. In this manner the foot rest assumes the position illustrated in Figsubstantially correct angle for the comfort of the occupantsof the rear seat. When the foot rest is not in use, it may be readily ushcd back into its retracted osition as portion of the automobilel Itisto be noted that the'ends of the slots ;8 contact with the trunnions '13 when the foot restv is i'n'its elevated position and so operate withthe link mechanism to prevent further motion of the foot rest and thereby constitute a stop.

shallow, .suitable depressions being provided for each of the links 14.

In the modifiedform of the invention,

which may be used to furnish a cheaper con-- 'struction, a rectangular, substantially L3- shaped foot rest isv provided, which consists of side links, or arms, 21, integrally joined by means of the transverse member The free endsof the arms 21 are pivoted withina trough-like casing 23, which isinset in rest is readily elevated, as indicated in dot the door of the automobile and may convenientlv be provided with apertured flanges 24, by means of which it is secured to the "floor.

,In this form of the invention the foot oot board and such forward portion is pulled "upwardly and -We claim:

may be relatively sition.

ted lines in Figure 10 and the as in will contact with the forward vertical portionsof the trough-like casing and prevent furtheir motion of thekarms, thereby providing elevated to the desired position to accommodate occupants ofthe-automobile and which may be quickly depressed to aposition flush with the floor of the automobile, and,'con sequently, out of the way.

Itwill further be seen that an attractive form of foot rest has been provided, which tion have been described in considerable de-' tail, it is to be understood that the invention may take various forms and isto be limited only as set forth in the appended claim.

A disappearing foot rest for a vehicle .is of sturdy and substantial construction and which may be cheaply and readily pro;

comprising a casing; ada'ted to be inset within the floor of the ve icle and having outwardly extending supporting flanges, a

foot rest plate provided. with trunnions pro- Obviously, the casm may be provided with a flat-bottourand jecting laterally therefrom adjacent its rear edge, said casinghaving slots therein for at a' point intermediate the ends of said' plate ,and pivotally joined to the inner side of saidcasing wherebysaidfoot rest mayv l he slid with its inner end continuously positioned within said casing and with its for ward end elevated and retained in such p0'- In testimony that weclaim the foregoing in the county of Racine and State of.Wis-

cousin.

, G-Eo. THEO. VON GERMETEN. .GARLRHANSEN;

ave have hereunto set our hands at Racine, 

